Former British champion and UFC veteran Ian "The Machine" Freeman looks to be making a return to the cage, but of a different sort than the one that made him famous.

Freeman, appearing before the Durham Crown Court in the U.K., pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, and jointly with his wife, Angela, also admitted to tax credit fraud, according to BBC News via FightOpinion.com.

The pair allegedly claimed that they were living solely off of the income of Freeman's wife for the past decade or so, totaling a tax fraud tab of more than £21,000, nearly $30,000 U.S. It is believed that Freeman stopped paying taxes in 1997.

Freeman and his wife are to be sentenced on March 3, when they face possible jail time.

Freeman first came to international prominence as a professional mixed martial artist with his win over current UFC interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 38 in London. He last competed at Cage Rage 26, also in London, in May of last year, when he defeated Paul Cahoon.

Way to go Freeman when claiming you are living of the wifes wage only go out and become a famous fighter, that will make it hard for them to prove when they catch you simply play the dvd and ask is that not you thne :laugh:

Tyburn

02-04-2009, 06:21 PM

I thought the fraud was to do with his mortgage :blink:

Its been known a while that he was being charged with fraud in some respect...but I didnt know he'd pleaded guilty...and forget being a famous fighter...what about being the founder of Fighters Only Magazine??

He must be loaded with money...what did he expect :huh:

...and another thing...his win over Cahoon was not in London, but in Birmingham...I know coz I was there for that Cage Rage event :)

KENTUCKYREDBONE

02-05-2009, 08:36 AM

Obama seems to have a soft spot for tax cheats! If Ian was in America he might get a cabinet position or something!

GnP

02-05-2009, 11:24 AM

I thought the fraud was to do with his mortgage :blink:

Its been known a while that he was being charged with fraud in some respect...but I didnt know he'd pleaded guilty...and forget being a famous fighter...what about being the founder of Fighters Only Magazine??

He must be loaded with money...what did he expect :huh:

...and another thing...his win over Cahoon was not in London, but in Birmingham...I know coz I was there for that Cage Rage event :)

Haha I had completely forgotten about FO and I have a subscription to that. Hope it continues I paid in advance :laugh:

Moose

02-05-2009, 04:09 PM

Obama seems to have a soft spot for tax cheats! If Ian was in America he might get a cabinet position or something!

How many of Bush's people ended up in jail again?

Tyburn

02-05-2009, 06:06 PM

Haha I had completely forgotten about FO and I have a subscription to that. Hope it continues I paid in advance :laugh:
it will continue, coz the guy incharge on a practical manner, is not Ian Freeman but Hywel Teague

...you know, the guy who writes "notes from ringside" each issue...I wish I could write as well as him :ashamed: